Sounds like a BBC type studio recording to me (who played bongos, Spencer?), maybe with live vocals for the show. I think this dates from Detroit 1969 because there is another version with an interview attached. Anyway, cool to hear the separation.

Poker,
you are correct.Yes, I was asking about STUDIO Oh well, but this recording from You tube is the best stereo i can find.Its from Detroit local TV station 1969 i guess.
I was told that Studio Stereo OH WELL doesn`t exist......
...so this you tube video (the first one from Les) has great audio stereo recording of legendary tune by magical PG.
On the other hand i thought Boston tapes cut is different than Detroit "studio" one??

Poker,
you are correct.Yes, I was asking about STUDIO Oh well, but this recording from You tube is the best stereo i can find.Its from Detroit local TV station 1969 i guess.
I was told that Studio Stereo OH WELL doesn`t exist......
...so this you tube video (the first one from Les) has great audio stereo recording of legendary tune by magical PG.
On the other hand i thought Boston tapes cut is different than Detroit "studio" one??

yes, it's doubtful that there is the studio version in true stereo somewhere at all. but the audio of these 2 youtube clips is in fact from the boston tapes - you can easily tell by the one bum note peter played during the intro. also you've got to remember that there was no stereo sound on tv at that time.
this matter had been discussed before (on the "early years" forum, iirc), and one member (can't remember who it was) pointed out that the original broadcast of this clip in fact featured a different live-in-the-studio audio (in mono). but what you're hearing here is the synced-up boston version.
i think we all would crave for the studio "oh well" in stereo, wouldn't we - but . . .
martin

I've no idea whether a stereo studio version exists or not, but by this time ,8 track machines were in use in Engliush studios, so why on earth would they not have recorded it in stereo or, if not initially record it ,then have mixed it down into stereo ? Why would you not do that ?

When they did their recordings for BBC radio (don't know if they ever did Oh Well for John Peel's Show - probably not? ) but did the BBC record these sessions in stereo ? I'd be surprised if they didn't ?

I've no idea whether a stereo studio version exists or not, but by this time ,8 track machines were in use in Engliush studios, so why on earth would they not have recorded it in stereo or, if not initially record it ,then have mixed it down into stereo ? Why would you not do that ?

in principal, to record in stereo a simple 2-track machine would do. but no matter if 2-track, 3-track, 4-track or 8-track:
first you'll have to consider that "oh well" has been recorded for release as a 45, not as part of the "then play on" album in the first place. and 45s at that time have mostly been released in mono.
nevertheless the recording must've been done on a multitrack machine (probably 8-track). but as we've learned again and again - sometimes tapes were wiped (accidentally or on purpose) or somehow simply vanished . . .
be it as it may - as long as the original multitrack recording will not miraculously show up in some vaults, there'll be no stereo version of the studio "oh well".

Quote:

Originally Posted by THD

When they did their recordings for BBC radio (don't know if they ever did Oh Well for John Peel's Show - probably not? ) but did the BBC record these sessions in stereo ? I'd be surprised if they didn't ?

ken garner states in his book "the peel sessions" that recording in stereo at the bbc studios wasn't possible until ca. mid-1970, and even then it was the absolute exception to the rule, because fm broadcasting in stereo didn't start until early 1972.

The BBC version I have is from the double disk "Live at the BBC" (Green plays his resonator) and it is in mono. It seems to have overdubs on it too. How live were the versions at the BBC really?

in quite a few cases there's a somewhat disappointing answer to this:
of course, some recordings have actually been done in the bbc studios (more or less "live", meaning: with or without overdubs) for broadcasts. but even more so-called bbc recordings are based on the original recordings. many bbc studio sessions (check the who or status quo, for example) were nothing more than the original backing tracks, mixed slightly differently (thus with a different sound) with a new set of vocals on top.
what definitely was live, though, were the "in concert" series of recordings and the likes, being recorded in front of an audience at places like the paris theatre in london (like the live set on disc 2 of the "show-biz blues" double cd).
i hope this helps, lespaul7.